Currently there is no good drug treatment for chronic alcoholism. The fact that alcoholism and affective disorder seem to be inter-related suggests that we evaluate the potential use of lithium and the anti- depressant, desipramine, drugs which have been effective in manic- depressive illness, as therapeutic agents for chronic alcoholism. We propose a six-month double-blind trial of lithium, desipramine and placebo in 300 chronic alcoholics. Previous studies have lacked adequate definition of the disease process both as to the characterization of the manic-depressive symptomatology and as to the nature of the drinking behavior. Also, there has been a question whether adequate medication has been given. We will define our population and also insure drug dosage by taking both lithium and desipramine blood levels. If either or both drugs prove beneficial, an exploration into whether the drug is affecting behavior directly or secondarily to the effect on anxiety/depression will be made. We will also contrast drug responders with non-responders as to the type of drinking behavior, amount of hostility expressed and how they express it (either openly or turning it against themselves), differences in personality factors, differences in affective disorder symptomatology and differences in drug blood levels. In the second phase of the study to be performed, if drinking behavior is not improved by the drug in the first phase, diazepam will be added to the lithium and desipramine treatment groups and the above-described analysis performed.